In the time before time, there was a little stream on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains, that fed into the Murray River. Now all streams have bubbles, but in this stream, the bubbles were alive. These bubbles were the crystal homes of the little Water Spirits. Unfortunately, one of the water Spirits was not happy with his lot in life. He decided one day that he wanted to be free of his crystal bubble home, as he wanted to be able to go off to play with all the other Water Creatures. He wished and wished so hard, that he eventually turned into a little green creature. Even so, he could still not escape from his crystal home. One day, when the Lyrebird came to drink at the stream, she noticed that one of the bubbles was green, and different to all of the other bubbles. Now everyone knows that the Lyrebird has the most amazing and beautiful voice, and that she can imitate almost any sound. One day, as she was singing her song, she noticed the green bubble dancing to her music. Lyrebird was fascinated. She kept singing loudly and watched intently as the green bubble kept dancing away, until it eventually shattered. Out hopped a Little Green Frog. The Little Green Frog opened its mouth to say something, but no sound came forth. Lyrebird was not impressed. "All living creatures make a noise," she thought "all creatures except for this Little Green Frog." "Try to sing." said Lyrebird. The Little Green Frog could not sing, or even make any kind of noise. Lyrebird was about to go home, when the Great Spirit spoke to her and asked her to teach the Little Green Frog to sing. The Great Spirit explained that because the frog was a great listener, he would make a very good student. The Great Spirit also explained that he knew that Lyrebird was the best teacher of all. This made Lyrebird feel very special and very important, so she agreed to teach the Little Green Frog how to sing. Every day, Lyrebird would go to the little stream, to teach Little Green Frog how to sing. Her student would listen and learn. Then one day, after many, many lessons, Lyrebird came down to the stream, just like she had so many times before. Much to Lyrebird's surprise, Little Green Frog was nowhere to be seen. Lyrebird looked everywhere for Little Green Frog, but she still could not find him. After some time, Lyrebird heard her husband's voice calling her, and she turned to answer, but nobody was there. Again, she heard her husband's voice calling out, but this time when she looked around, she saw Little Green Frog. He was hiding behind a rock, laughing out loudly. "Oh, you are so cheeky, Little Green Frog! You have learnt very well indeed! You mimicked my husband's voice so well, that I thought he was calling out to me! It is now time that your voice be heard by everyone else!" You see, Lyrebird was so proud of how well her student had learnt, that she entirely forgot how beautiful her own voice was. Lyrebird called all the animals and all the birds all the little creatures together, so that they could come to listen to Little Green Frog. When all the creatures, great and small, had gathered around the stream, the Moon was shining brightly up in the sky. Little Green Frog was fast asleep with all the other Water Spirits. As soon as Lyrebird called out to him, Little Green Frog jumped onto his favourite lilly pad and puffed out his chest proudly. When all the creatures saw him, they laughed loudly, because they thought that he looked very strange. "You are not here to look at Little Green Frog," said Lyrebird sternly. "You are here to listen." With that, Little Green Frog opened his mouth to sing and the music that came out was wonderous. It was the music of nature, like the sound of the wind in the trees. It was the sounds of all the animals, and the songs of all the birds and the call of all the other creatures, all somehow mixed together into a magical symphony. When Little Green Frog had finished, all the creatures congratulated him and Lyrebird on such wonderful singing. When all the creatures had gone home, Lyrebird went to her student and said "I am so proud of you! Now you can sing even better than I do!" Little Green Frog jumped back into the water and waited until his teacher had left. Then he climbed back onto his favourite lilly pad and puffed out his chest proudly. He boasted to the whole world "I am the greatest singer in the world! I can sing even better than Lyrebird! If I wanted to, I could sing the Moon right out of the sky!" "Go ahead and try it then!" cried out the Gecko, who heard Little Green Frog boasting so loudly. So Little Green Frog tried to sing the Moon right out of the sky. Little Green Frog sang and sang loudly to the Moon, but the Moon did not listen to even one note that he made. The Moon just sailed on across the sky, straight past Little Green Frog. Little Green Frog could not believe that the Moon ignored him like this, so he tried even harder. He sang as loudly and sweetly as he could. Little Green Frog sang until he thought he was going to burst, and then he kept on singing after that. Little Green Frog was so full of himself, that he was determined to prove that he could charm the Moon right out of the sky with his wonderful music. Then without any warning, Little Green Frog's voice broke, so that all that came out after that, was the harshest of croaks. Today, Lyrebirds still sing beautifully, but Little Green Frogs just croak. This is all because of that oh-so-proud little green creature that showed off too much in the Dreamtime.
Once you have read the story, you can use this document to complete a reading comprehension task. When you finish this task, please e-mail your answers to your Australian Partner Student, who will correct this for you!
The Little Green Frog
In the time before time, there was a little stream on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains, that fed into the Murray River. Now all streams have bubbles, but in this stream, the bubbles were alive. These bubbles were the crystal homes of the little Water Spirits.
Unfortunately, one of the water Spirits was not happy with his lot in life. He decided one day that he wanted to be free of his crystal bubble home, as he wanted to be able to go off to play with all the other Water Creatures. He wished and wished so hard, that he eventually turned into a little green creature. Even so, he could still not escape from his crystal home.
One day, when the Lyrebird came to drink at the stream, she noticed that one of the bubbles was green, and different to all of the other bubbles. Now everyone knows that the Lyrebird has the most amazing and beautiful voice, and that she can imitate almost any sound. One day, as she was singing her song, she noticed the green bubble dancing to her music. Lyrebird was fascinated. She kept singing loudly and watched intently as the green bubble kept dancing away, until it eventually shattered. Out hopped a Little Green Frog.
The Little Green Frog opened its mouth to say something, but no sound came forth. Lyrebird was not impressed. "All living creatures make a noise," she thought "all creatures except for this Little Green Frog."
"Try to sing." said Lyrebird. The Little Green Frog could not sing, or even make any kind of noise.
Lyrebird was about to go home, when the Great Spirit spoke to her and asked her to teach the Little Green Frog to sing. The Great Spirit explained that because the frog was a great listener, he would make a very good student. The Great Spirit also explained that he knew that Lyrebird was the best teacher of all. This made Lyrebird feel very special and very important, so she agreed to teach the Little Green Frog how to sing.
Every day, Lyrebird would go to the little stream, to teach Little Green Frog how to sing. Her student would listen and learn. Then one day, after many, many lessons, Lyrebird came down to the stream, just like she had so many times before. Much to Lyrebird's surprise, Little Green Frog was nowhere to be seen.
Lyrebird looked everywhere for Little Green Frog, but she still could not find him. After some time, Lyrebird heard her husband's voice calling her, and she turned to answer, but nobody was there. Again, she heard her husband's voice calling out, but this time when she looked around, she saw Little Green Frog. He was hiding behind a rock, laughing out loudly.
"Oh, you are so cheeky, Little Green Frog! You have learnt very well indeed! You mimicked my husband's voice so well, that I thought he was calling out to me! It is now time that your voice be heard by everyone else!"
You see, Lyrebird was so proud of how well her student had learnt, that she entirely forgot how beautiful her own voice was. Lyrebird called all the animals and all the birds all the little creatures together, so that they could come to listen to Little Green Frog.
When all the creatures, great and small, had gathered around the stream, the Moon was shining brightly up in the sky. Little Green Frog was fast asleep with all the other Water Spirits. As soon as Lyrebird called out to him, Little Green Frog jumped onto his favourite lilly pad and puffed out his chest proudly. When all the creatures saw him, they laughed loudly, because they thought that he looked very strange.
"You are not here to look at Little Green Frog," said Lyrebird sternly. "You are here to listen." With that, Little Green Frog opened his mouth to sing and the music that came out was wonderous. It was the music of nature, like the sound of the wind in the trees. It was the sounds of all the animals, and the songs of all the birds and the call of all the other creatures, all somehow mixed together into a magical symphony. When Little Green Frog had finished, all the creatures congratulated him and Lyrebird on such wonderful singing.
When all the creatures had gone home, Lyrebird went to her student and said "I am so proud of you! Now you can sing even better than I do!"
Little Green Frog jumped back into the water and waited until his teacher had left. Then he climbed back onto his favourite lilly pad and puffed out his chest proudly. He boasted to the whole world "I am the greatest singer in the world! I can sing even better than Lyrebird! If I wanted to, I could sing the Moon right out of the sky!"
"Go ahead and try it then!" cried out the Gecko, who heard Little Green Frog boasting so loudly.
So Little Green Frog tried to sing the Moon right out of the sky. Little Green Frog sang and sang loudly to the Moon, but the Moon did not listen to even one note that he made. The Moon just sailed on across the sky, straight past Little Green Frog.
Little Green Frog could not believe that the Moon ignored him like this, so he tried even harder. He sang as loudly and sweetly as he could. Little Green Frog sang until he thought he was going to burst, and then he kept on singing after that. Little Green Frog was so full of himself, that he was determined to prove that he could charm the Moon right out of the sky with his wonderful music. Then without any warning, Little Green Frog's voice broke, so that all that came out after that, was the harshest of croaks.
Today, Lyrebirds still sing beautifully, but Little Green Frogs just croak. This is all because of that oh-so-proud little green creature that showed off too much in the Dreamtime.
Once you have read the story, you can use this document to complete a reading comprehension task. When you finish this task, please e-mail your answers to your Australian Partner Student, who will correct this for you!